The unpredictable tapestry of human existence is often woven from the threads of chance and unforeseen events. In "Small Saturday," Christopher's path to love is paved by missed opportunities with others, leading him fortuitously to the woman destined to become his wife. Unbeknownst to them, a lustful Swiss traveler soaring into New York, a dramatic police operation dismantling a ring of con artists, and a middle-aged man infatuated with a young actress all conspire to shape their destinies.

In "Noises in the City," a man's tenderness towards his expectant wife is reignited after an encounter with a widower, whose beloved was brutally slain when her normally steady husband inexplicably descended into madness. Within Shaw's universe, lives pivot on the delicate fulcrum of a heedless word, a fleeting glance, or a serendipitous encounter. These tales of destinies sealed by the capricious dance of fortune captivate readers, as the sheer magic of chance remains a hallmark of the master storyteller's craft.

The second recurring theme captures the deep human yearning to uphold one's purpose and self-esteem amidst the unpredictable turns of destiny. In "God Was Here, But He Left Early," Rosemary Maclain makes her return to the enchanting city of Paris. As a department store buyer who occasionally ventures to Europe, and a divorced mother with a teenage daughter, Rosemary's life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes pregnant after a fleeting encounter with a young, married Frenchman.

In her quest for a legal abortion, she meets with a French psychologist, who ultimately denies her request. Desperate, Rosemary seeks out her paramour, who can only muster a faint promise of a doctor in Zurich. That evening, she shares a meal with friends who introduce her to Rodney Harrison, a youthful Englishman reminiscent of her French lover. The allure of Paris, buoyed by Rodney's attentions and her wary avoidance of the wine, tempts her to seek solace with him. Yet, instead of tenderness, Rodney offers her only mild cruelty. Faced with this disillusionment, Rosemary retreats into a turbulent storm of self-mockery and confusion, seeking refuge in her own protective hysteria.

Another enduring motif in American culture is the tendency to measure one's value by achievements in sports or financial triumphs. A quintessential narrative that explores this idea is "The Eighty Yard Run," chronicling the gradual unraveling of Christian Darling's life. Following the conventional trajectory of success, Darling weds his employer's daughter, only for the stock market crash of 1929 to obliterate both his father-in-law's wealth and the family business he hoped to inherit. In a twist of fate, during the bleakness of the Great Depression, his wife Louise thrives as an editor, while Christian finds himself reduced to peddling suits to university students at his old college.

This job forces him to confront a ghostly reflection of the person he yearned to be. In his glory days, Darling had sprinted eighty yards for a touchdown as a college football player. That cherished memory has been his lifeline — until he ventures, clad in a jacket and tie, onto the barren field of the empty stadium to relive the moment. However, as students unexpectedly catch sight of him, Darling, seized by a wave of mortification, bolts from the stadium, reminded bitterly that his famed run occurred only during practice, never in an actual game.